


Rose Lily Potter: The-Girl-Who-Lived

by Ravenpuff4DaWin



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Abusive Dursleys, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Child Abuse, Child Neglect, Female Harry Potter, Genderbending, Harry Potter has special powers, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Nightmares, OP Harry Potter, Powerful Harry Potter, Rule 63, Smart Harry Potter, We’re getting rid of ginger trash, You know who I mean, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-22
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-19 08:09:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,871
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29623251
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ravenpuff4DaWin/pseuds/Ravenpuff4DaWin
Summary: Meet Rose Lily Potter, daughter of James Charlus Potter and Lily Marie Evans. She’s smart, kind, shy, and actually has common sense! The Dursley’s are abusive (more so than cannon), but that won’t stop Rose from fulfilling her destiny and becoming a witch.The Girl-Who-Lived has ‘special powers’, including a near-perfect memory, meaning she isn’t as ignorant as Harry was. What happens if our favorite Saviour of the Wizarding World knew of her destiny.(Sorry I suck at summaries)
Relationships: Albus Dumbledore & Harry Potter, Hermione Granger & Harry Potter, Neville Longbottom & Harry Potter, Petunia Evans Dursley/Vernon Dursley, Remus Lupin/Nymphadora Tonks, Sirius Black/Amelia Bones
Comments: 10
Kudos: 104





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So this is cross-posted on ff.net. I will be uploading the already written chapters within the next few days. This prologue isn’t my best work, and there are probably several errors. Please give me a chance with the later chapters.

Rose Lily Potter, daughter of James Charlus Potter and Lily Marie Evans Potter, was a witch. An honest to goodness broom flying, wand waving, potion brewing, robe wearing witch. Well, technically she wasn’t all that since she would have to wait another month before receiving her Hogwarts letter, but still, you get the idea. 

Now Rose lives with her walrus of an uncle, horse of an aunt, and pig of a cousin, The Dursley’s. Some of the most boring, ‘normal’ (yeah ‘cause normal people locked children in cupboards), magic-hating muggles she had ever met, not that she had met many. They didn’t encourage her to excel in school, didn’t let her watch the telly, let her read fantasy books, play with toys, or let her do anything a normal ten year old girl would do. That’s because they are abusive, neglectful bastards.

Her Aunt Petunia, her mother’s older sister, was a gossiping old hag that had nothing better to do during the day than spy on the neighbors. She taught Rose her ‘womanly’ duties like cleaning, cooking, and gardening. But she also took on harder jobs, like mowing the grass, washing the car, fixing stuff, painting, et cetera, et cetera. She was practically a human house elf. She got up early every morning, cooked breakfast for her relatives (she refused to call them family), often not getting much for herself, tidied up the kitchen, then headed off to school. 

Her cousin was fat, unathletic, and had the stamina of a 17 year old dog. She was his favorite punching bag, even though it’s generally frowned upon to beat up little girls (though you’re not supposed to beat up anybody really). She was quite fast and nimble, so she could usually escape unless his gang (seriously, what ten year old has a gang) was with him. He didn’t dare do anything in front of teachers though. In school he settles on poking, prodding, and pinching her arms while the other boys tug on her pigtails. Hard. 

Her uncle wasn’t much better. Dudley seemed to have learned everything from his father, not that either of them had very big brains to begin with (really, she did his homework for Merlin’s sake!). He didn’t punch or kick her, but he did slap her silly sometimes. Other times he settled on cuffing her on the head or gripping her arm painfully. 

Thankfully her baggy clothing hid most of the bruises. One time, she had a red handprint on her cheeks from earlier that morning. She had burned the toast slightly and Vernon was not happy with her. Rose was quite resourceful when she wanted to be, and simply stated that she had fallen asleep on her hand in the car. As if to prove her point, the handprint had faded after a few minutes. That was one of her first bursts of accidental magic. 

The only reason Rose protected her relatives and their abuse was because of the blood wards. She knew that was the only thing keeping her safe from Voldemort and other Death Eaters. If she really concentrated, she could faintly see the glow of the wards, red for the shared blood, gold for her magic, ice blue for the creator’s magic (she presumed that was Dumbledore’s) and a faint murky brown that showed her squib neighbor Mrs. Figg, who was assigned to watch over her. Obviously she didn’t do a very good job of it. Aura seeing was one of her many talents. Among those were her perfect memory and her Occlumency barriers. The barriers were created instinctively after she learned muggle mediation. Rose was also a passive Legilimens, which meant that most of the time she could tell if someone was lying and could read people’s emotions if they were strong enough. Her skills were quite honed as there really isn’t much to do spending half your life locked in a cupboard under the stairs. 

There was something very special about her memory, though. She could remember everything roughly after the age of one. Rose could remember her mother Lily, with her emerald green eyes, flaming red hair, and kindly smile, watching over her as she fell asleep. She remembered her father with his wire rim glasses, and wild black hair. She had the same hair sadly, though hers was a bit wavyer and ran slightly past her shoulders. She also remembered Uncle Siri, better known as Padfoot the dog, with his twinkling eyes and barking laughter. Or Uncle Moony, a lanky man with tawny hair flecked with grey and pale scars running down his cheeks. Not that they scared her mind you, in fact, she had loved to gently trace them with her tiny little finger whenever he held her. And then there was Peter, the rat. She never liked him. Whenever he babysat her by himself he would get this glint in his eye and talk about how he would be rewarded for handing her over. He was the one who was Secret Keeper for her family’s cottage, and he was the one who sold them out to Voldemort.

She always wondered what happened to him, was he caught or did he escape somehow? She also wondered whatever happened to Siri and Moony. Why didn’t they come for her at the Dursleys? Why did Siri hand her off to that giant, Hagrid? Were they killed? Did they forget about her? Were they looking for her but couldn’t find her? Hundreds of questions swirled through her head but they wouldn’t be answered for another few months when she went to Hogwarts. 

Hogwarts was one thing she remembered quite vividly. Her parents would show her pictures of the grand castle, and her dad spoke of all the secret passages him and the Marauders discovered during their tenure there. One of Rose’s favorite things to do as a child was look at her parents old school books. All the illustrations in the Fantastic Beasts, the complex diagrams in the transfiguration texts, and the rough sketches in Herbology books.

But thinking about Hogwarts always brought her to a big problem. How was she going to convince her relatives to let her attend? They despised anything ‘freakish’ (their words not her’s), anything abnormal.

_I guess I just have to play it by ear when the letter comes._


	2. Dudley’s Birthday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We get into more of the actual story. Warning: Graphic abuse (nothing terrible; no blood).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First chapter is up! This chapter is un-betaed, so all mistakes are mine and mine alone. Just like with the prologue, it’s not my finest writing. I actually wrote this back in September, and I like to think that writing has vastly improved since then. 
> 
> Thanks to all those who left kudos or bookmarked my story. Your support means a lot!

_Chapter 1: Dudley’s Birthday_

“UP! UP! GET READY YOU LAZY FREAK! Everything WILL be perfect for Duddy’s birthday!” Petunia’s shrill voice woke up Rose. It took her a few seconds to fully comprehend what she said. She had forgotten that Dudley’s birthday was today. She started scrambling for her clothes. Rose couldn’t afford to be late or ruin anything. Vernon’s wrath was even more volatile on days like this. She had learned that the hard way. 

“Coming, Aunt Petunia,” she responded meekly. Rose heard the key unlock the padlock on the door and the deadbolt slide. They had started locking her in the cupboard under the stairs when Vernon caught her rummaging through the icebox one night trying to sneak some leftovers. When he heard her and came into the kitchen, she had gotten one of her longest punishments. She had been in the cupboard for almost a month, only being let out each day to go to school. That was one of the few times Vernon had used the belt on her. She laid in her cupboard hours afterwards silently crying. She refused to cry in front of them. It was simply a matter of pride, and how much weakness she would show in front of them. Dudley would just bully her for it anyways, so it didn’t really matter. 

Rose slipped out of the cupboard and walked over to the kitchen. Her aunt wasn’t there but she could see the fixings for a traditional English breakfast on the counter. She pulled out the necessary pots and pans and set to work. Sausage and bacon went in one skillet, eggs in another, and mushrooms and tomatoes in a third. After making sure things wouldn’t burn, she filled a tea kettle and set it on the stove, then started the percolating then coffee. She could hear Petunia upstairs trying (and failing) to wake up the Dursley men. 

The smell of food apparently woke them up, and they were all in the kitchen 10 minutes later. By then, the only thing left cooking was the baked beans, and the bread she had just put in the toaster. She quickly served them all huge portions, and walked back to her ‘room’. Rose grabbed the mop and broom and made her way to the entrance hallway. She was to clean it up before Dudley’s friend Piers Polkiss showed up. The doorbell rang just as she was finishing. She opened up the door and saw Piers and his mum. 

Mrs. Polkiss was a nice woman. Unlike the Dursley’s, she believed all the reports sent home saying that her son was caught beating up little kids or bullying Rose. However, she still cared about her appearance in the neighborhood. So she never approached Rose in front of others, but by themselves she would greet her with a smile, or sometimes invited her in for tea. She had even given Rose a couple of her daughter’s old dresses after seeing her wear Dudley’s hand me downs. Dudley was the size of a young killer whale, and his old clothes were about ten sizes too large to fit her. Luckily, she was also the seamstress for the Dursley’s, and had purposely shrunk her clothes in the wash. 

“Hello Rosie dear, how are you today?” Mrs. Polkiss asked. Piers had run into the kitchen to find Dudley, who was just finishing eating. 

“Fine, thank you for asking ma’am.” She replied. Aunt Petunia then came, and after talking with her Mrs. Polkiss left. As soon as Piers’ mum was out of sight, Petunia rounded on Rose. 

“Mrs. Figg has broken her leg and can’t watch you. Unfortunately that means you have to come with us. There better be none of your freakishness or else it’ll be the cupboard for the rest of the summer.” Rose nodded obediently. She wouldn’t put it past them to do that. The only upside to being in her ‘room’ was that Vernon and Dudley couldn’t beat on her.

* * *

After a 15 minute drive, where Rose has to endure a whole lot of poking and pinching, they arrived at the zoo. Near the entrance was an ice cream stand where her uncle bought Dudley and Piers both large ice lollies. Before they could get away the lady asked Rose if she wanted anything, but she declined after receiving a look from Vernon. 

“No thank you ma’am, I am not terribly fond of sweets.” The vendor shot her a strange look, but didn’t comment. Once out of sight Dudley started cackling at her, showing her his half eaten lolly.

Two hours later they found themselves in the Reptile House. The whole day she had just shadowed her aunt, not showing particular interest in any of the animals. Dudley was currently tormenting the Brazilian python. After leaving him, Rose walked over to it. 

_‘Hello ssssnake’_ Rose hissed. She had known since she was little that she could talk to snakes. She could also somewhat understand some lizards, but couldn’t speak to them. She found it could be quite amusing to listen to some of their conversations. 

_‘Ssssspeaker, have you come to free me and my relativesssssss?’_

_‘I’m ssssssorry but I cannot today. My relativesssssss would be very angry with me.’_

_‘Well, it was worth a ssssssshot. Good day ssspeaker.’_

Rose quickly scurried back to her uncle after seeing that Dudley noticed the snake was awake now. He started banging on the glass again. After the fifth or sixth strike, the glass part of the enclosure mysteriously vanished, and Dudley toppled into the enclosure. The python happily slithered out of the enclosure, and across the floor. As it left the room, he turned his head and winked at her. 

_‘Thanksss amiga’_

* * *

The reptile keeper, after calming Petunia down with several cups of tea, refunded them for their trouble. The problem was that there wasn’t a shard of glass in sight, and no one could explain how a sturdy glass barrier seemingly disappeared. As they neared the car, Piers turned to Rose. 

“You were talking to that snake, weren’t you Potter?”

Hearing this, Vernon's eyes bulged out, Petunia paled dramatically, and Dudley stumbled a bit. Her uncle quickly shoved her in the car and looked around the lot. Everyone else got into the car. 

They rode in tense silence, and making it back to Privet Drive Vernon dropped both Dudley and Piers off at the Polkiss’s saying he would pick him back up in a little bit. When he pulled into the driveway and parked, he came around the side and locked his meaty hand around Rose’s arm. Her aunt went ahead and was locking all the doors and closing the blinds. That was new. Vernon dragged her into the living room and threw her to the floor. Dragging in a long breath, he bellowed, 

“YOU UNGRATEFUL BRAT! HOW DARE YOU USE YOUR FREAKISHNESS ON OUR PRECIOUS SON! WE CLOTHE YOU, FEED YOU, AND GIVE YOU A ROOF OVER YOUR HEAD! AND WHAT DO WE GET IN RETURN?” Every word was punctuated with a kick to her stomach or back. She had already curled into a fetal position and was silently sobbing. After a few minutes, he tired out and sunk into a chair. Petunia's head was swiveling every few seconds, going between her and the covered windows. Regaining his composure, her uncle stood back up and grabbed her ‘round the middle, and tossed her into the cupboard under the stairs. She could hear the lock sliding in place from inside. A few minutes later Rose cried herself to sleep.

* * *

Rose woke up hours later to an empty stomach and an aching body. She hadn’t eaten much the past week, ever since the summer hols started. Her ribs felt tender and bruises ran down the length of her back. There were clear finger marks where her uncle had gripped her arm and on her face where he had slapped her. All in all, she felt like crap. She couldn’t see any light filtering through the crack on the door or hear the telly, so she assumed it was nighttime. Her uncle had never beaten her like this before. He had used the belt occasional when she was young, but nothing like this. Even when she did accidental magic, like apparating onto the school roof, or turning the teacher’s wig blue. She guessed that since their Dinky Diddydums was ‘harmed’ it was more severe. 

Carefully, she maneuvered over her bed to the shelf where she kept her pajamas and slipped them on. Rose lifted up a crate of cleaning supplies she had moved on to a loose floor board. Under the floorboard she had stashed a couple bottles of water in case of long stays and extra blankets for when it got really drafty during winter. After taking a few sips, she popped the floorboard back in place and shifted the crate. She stowed the water in between layers of her folded clothes and went back to sleep, changing position every few minutes in an attempt to accommodate her injuries. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will be posting the next chapter either later today or tomorrow. Please comment if you notice any mistakes within the story, or have any constructive criticism.


	3. The Letters from Hogwarts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose finally gets the Hogwarts letter she’s dreamed of her entire life! We also may meet a certain half-giant friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to all those who have commented, bookmarked, or given this story kudos. It means so much to me! I will probably post two more chapter tomorrow, which are already posted on ff.net. This chapter is unbetaed, so all mistakes are mine and mine alone. Please comment if you do see any glaring errors.

_  
Chapter 2: The Letter from Hogwarts _

It was at least another month before Rose was let out of her cupboard for things other than chores. Now she spent most of her time at the park, hiding in the equipment where Dudley couldn’t find her. Any day now she was expecting her Hogwarts letter. 

All that time in that cupboard was spent devising a plan on how to get to Hogwarts. She figured that if she sent back a reply with the owl that came to deliver her letter, she could ask if someone could be sent to show her to Diagon Alley. Rose would just say that since she was Muggle-raised, she had no way of accessing the alley. She would be able to pick up all her school supplies, and hopefully some more fitting clothes. 

* * *

Finally, the day came. Her uncle had sent her out to get the mail, and sitting on the postbox was a huge tawny barn owl. After untying the letter from the owl’s leg, it started to fly off, but Rose quickly called out to it. 

“Wait Mr. Owl. I need to send a letter back with you. If you go out to the garden I’ll bring you some food in a bit.” The owl must’ve understood, as it flew out back and landed in a tree, and started nesting. 

She stuffed the letter in the waistband of her pants and pulled her oversized t-shirt over it. Rose reentered the house and made her way to the cupboard, dropping the remaining post on the table in front of Vernon. She closed the door to the cupboard and turned on the overhead lightbulb. She tended to not use it very often since the Dursley’s wouldn’t probably wouldn’t replace it. Tenderly, she slid her finger under the wax seal. It was the Hogwarts crest; a lion, an eagle, a badger, and a snake. The motto  _ Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus  _ ribboned out underneath. 

  
  


HOGWARTS SCHOOL

_ of  _ WITCHCRAFT  _ and  _ WIZARDRY 

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore ( _ Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc. Chf. Warlock,  _ _ Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards) _

  
  


Dear Ms. Potter,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. 

Term begins on September 1. We await your owl no later than July 31. 

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

_ Minerva McGonagall, _

_ Deputy Headmistress _

This was it. Rose was finally going to Hogwarts. Remembering the owl outside, she grabbed her pre-written response and headed into the kitchen. She grabbed a couple of leftover bacon strips and filled a shallow bowl with water. In the back garden the owl was napping lightly. Hearing Rose, it flew from the tree and perched on a bench near the shrubs. 

“Here you go little guy.” The owl tore into the bacon and greedily gulped down the water. 

“Do you mind carrying this letter back for me? If it’s not too much trouble.” It puffed out its chest and hooted indignantly. He swooped over to her, grabbed the letter in his beak, and flew off. 

“Thank you Mr. Owl!” Rose called out after him. She turned around and went back inside. She couldn’t stop smiling for the rest of the day, even when she was doing her ‘chores’. 

A few days later, she received another owl stating that Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds of Hogwarts, would be there on July 31 to take her to the Alley. Rose guessed they assumed she had knowledge of the wizarding world. Fine by her, she thought the less people who knew about her memory, the better. She didn’t exactly hide it, but she had never told anyone of the full extent she had. Rose has been the first in her primary school class to memorize her times tables, and she had always excelled in history class. Rose figured she would probably have to reveal it to certain wizards that she remembered from when she was little. Like Hagrid, Dumbledore,Uncle Moony, and Uncle Siri. Oh, and Neville, his mum was her godmother and they used to play together.

* * *

Rose woke up the morning of her 11th birthday well rested and a smile still on her face. Today she would be going to Diagon Alley (with Hagrid no less) and more or less reintroduced to the Wizarding World. 

It was mid-morning when she heard a loud knock on the door. 

“Answer the door, girl!” Vernon bellowed from his spot in front of the telly. Excitedly, Rose ran to the door and opened it. The man standing outside was huge, about 8 ½ feet tall and as wide as three fully grown men. He had to crouch down and slide in sideways to get through the door. 

“ ‘Ello Rosie, how are yeh? Last I saw yeh you was a wee little thing. Yer the spittin’ image of yer mum. ‘Cept the hair, yeh got yer father’s hair.”

“Who’s at the door, freak?” Her uncle asked as he waddled into the hallway. 

“It’s Hagrid, sir. He came to take me to Diagon Alley.” Rose responded. Lying would get her nowhere. 

“Diag… Wait a minute, YOU’RE ONE OF THOSE FREAKS TOO! I SWORE THE DAY WE TOOK HER IN WE’D STAMP THAT NONSENSE OUT OF HER. SHE WILL NOT BE RETURNING TO ‘YOUR’ KIND AND RUIN OUR RESPECTABLE. SHE’S BAD ENOUGH AS IT IS.”

“Eh, shut up yeh big prune. No muggle can stop the daughter of James and Lily Potter from goin’ ter Hogwarts. No, Rose will be a great witch with parents like that.” countered Hagrid. “C’mon Rosie, we’ll need tah be leaving soon.”

“NOW HOLD ON. I REFUSE TO LET YOU TAKE HER. WE WILL NOT PAY FOR SOME CRACKPOT OLD FOOL TO TEACH THE GIRL MAGIC TRICKS.” Rose was sure her uncle would have a sore throat later with all the shouting he was doing. 

“NEVER INSULT ALBUS DUMBLEDORE IN FRONT O’ ME!” Hagrid bellowed back. A beam of violet light shot out of the pink umbrella he was gripping tightly, something she had not noticed before. Vernon immediately howled in pain. A curly pig’s tail was growing out of his behind. Rose had to stuff her fist in her mouth to stifle the giggles. Vernon ran out of the room, cursing them both up and down. 

“Well, we’d best get going. Don’t want teh go when the Alley’s all crowded. “ Rose nodded. 

“How will we be getting there?”

“The Knight Bus. S’not the most pleasant way to get there but is the quickest for yeh.”

* * *

After a queasy ride on the violet triple decker, Hagrid and Rose arrived on Charing Cross Road. She saw the sign for the Leaky Cauldron, which Hagrid had explained was the gateway between Diagon Alley and muggle London. As they neared the entrance, Rose turned to him. 

“Hagrid, do you mind if we keep a bit of a low profile passing through. I don’t want to draw unwanted attention to myself.” On the ride there Hagrid had sped her up to date one the happenings of the wizarding world (how she was famous, who the new minister is, which death eaters were able to buy their way out of Azkaban, et cetera, et cetera). 

“O’ course, Rosie, we wouldn’t want yeh mobbed. “ They stepped into the pub, and thankfully no one looked their way. Hagrid quickly made his way to the back door and stepped into litter strewn courtyard. He stepped up to one of the brick walls. After tapping a sequence on them, the bricks shifted to form an arch that opened into a busy street. 

“Welcome ter Diagon Alley. “


	4. Diagon Alley

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to all those who have commented, bookmarked, or given this story kudos. It means so much to me! I will probably post one more chapter later today, which again is already posted on ff.net. This chapter is unbetaed, so all mistakes are mine and mine alone. Please comment if you do see any glaring errors.
> 
> Disclaimer: You will probably recognize a lot of the text in this chapter. I took direct quotes from the book, so that is obviously not my work.

_ Chapter 3: Diagon Alley _

  
  


_ “Welcome to Diagon Alley” _

  
  


Rose wished she had several more eyes. Everywhere there was something interesting to look at. Quidditch shops showing off the latest Nimbus model, bookshops packed to the brim with tomes, apothecaries with mysterious looking ingredients lining the windows, menageries filled with animals of all kinds and sizes. 

Holding onto his hand, she let Hagrid lead her up the street to Gringotts, no one noticing her thankfully. Gringotts was huge. It looked to be about two or three stories high, but Hagrid had told her that it actually went several miles deep. Walking up the front steps, the uniformed goblins bowed and opened the door for them. Rose bowed back and thanked them, not sure about goblin customs. Both gave her odd looks, then tried to cover it up with an appreciative nod. 

Above the entrance to the bank, a poem was carved into the white marble.   
  


_ ‘Enter, stranger, but take heed _

_ Of what awaits the sin of greed _

_ For those who take, but do not earn _

_ Must pay most dearly in their turn _

_ So if you seek beneath our floors _

_ A treasure that was never yours _

_ Thief, you have been warned, beware _

_ Of finding more than treasure there.’ _

  
Rose shuddered slightly while reading this. She understood why you never should cross a goblin. She didn’t have time to think on this, however, as Hagrid led her to the tellers. It didn’t seem very crowded for being the middle of the day. 

“ ‘scuse me I’m here to make a withdrawal from the Potter trust vault.” Hagrid told the goblin. 

“Do you have the key?”

“Jus’ give meh a momen’ “ He proceeded to empty out all his pockets onto the counter, much to the goblin’s displeasure. Finally he found it buried under a pile of dog biscuits. 

“Here yeh are.” The goblin inspected it closely, running it’s spindly fingers over the grooves. 

“Everything seems to be in order. Is there anything else I can do for you today?” Hagrid, who had put almost everything back in his pockets, slid an envelope across the desk towards the banker. 

“A letter from Dumbledore. About the you-know-what in Vault 713.” 

“Of course.” The goblin was finished reading the letter, and had a bit of a smirk on his face for it. Rose was curious as to what it could be, but didn’t want to pry. 

The teller called over another uniformed employee. He whispered in his ear, and the second goblin nodded. “Griphook, please escort Miss Potter to her trust vault.”

The newly-named Griphook led them to one of the many mine carts, and had them all get in. There were no seatbelts, so Rose gripped the side of it tightly. As soon as the goblin sat down, the cart took off. It hurtled itself through a maze of passages and caverns. They moved at a dizzying speed.  _ This is like the Knight Bus,  _ Rose thought to herself. It was fun though. Kind of like the roller coasters Dudley talked about having ridden. 

Finally they arrived at what she assumed was her vault. Griphook took the key from her and inserted it into the lock. As the door swung open, green vapor poured from the safe within. Inside the room there were mounds and mounds of coins. Rose remembered that the gold ones were Galleons, Sickles were silver, and the tiny bronze coins were called Knuts. 

In the center of the vault was a small table with an envelope and a book wrapped in brown leather. The raven haired girl slowly walked over to the table. Hagrid was dropping the coins into a bag he had with him and Griphook was outside the vault, waiting by the cart. 

She slid a finger under the wax seal, and pulled out the letter from within. It was written on parchment in green ink, similar to her Hogwarts letters. On it a message was written out in a flowery script. It read,

_ My dearest Rosie, _

_ If you are reading this letter, it means that your father and I have passed from this world. I can only pray that you have many happy memories of us.  _

_ I have written to you because you will need to know certain things pertaining to the war effort, and I have an ominous feeling I will not be able to tell you myself.  _

_ First off, a prophecy has been made and it may be about you. I will not concern you with its exact wording, but know that it talks of the defeat of Voldemort. It states that a child born at the end of July whose parents have fought him three times will have the ability to defeat Voldemort. There are only two children who fit this criteria: You and your god brother Neville Longbottom. I was never one for divination, but Voldemort most likely believes it to be true and that is why we have gone into hiding.  _

_ Secondly, if we do die, it was Peter Pettigrew’s fault. He was our Secret Keeper under the Fidelius Charm. We wanted to have your Uncle Sirius do it, but he said he would be obvious and wanted to take no chances. James, Sirius, and Peter are suspicious of your Uncle Remus because he is a werewolf, which is complete poppycock. But your father trusts his friends and we made Peter our Secret Keeper as a diversion. I have a bad feeling about him. He was always a bit of a coward in school, and isn’t much better now. Not very talented with a wand, either. But again, if your father trusts him, so will I.  _

_ That is everything important I have to tell you right now. There are other things towards the end of the diary, beginning in my 7th year when the war was going strong, that may be important.  _

_ Again, I hope you never have to read this, but we are at war and must be prepared. Remember that your father and I love you with all our hearts, and always will. Be safe, and stay strong my little Rose.  _

  
  


_ With love, _

_ Your mummy Lily  _

Rose’s head was spinning. Her mother- _ her mummy- _ had given her all this information. And the prophecy? She assumed it had been fulfilled when Voldemort had tried to kill her and failed. That memory was quite vivid in her mind. Her mother’s pleas and sob, Voldemort’s cold, high pitched laughter, the acid green light of the Killing Curse. 

_ Stop thinking about it! Get yourself together, Potter.  _ The raven haired girl shook her head to clear her thoughts. She looked behind her and saw that Hagrid was still counting coins and putting them into a bag. Rose quickly stuffed the letter back in its envelope and tucked it into the diary.  _ I’ll need to read this later,  _ she thought. 

“Alright Rose? C’mon, let’s get back to them infernal carts.” Hagrid led her outside the vault where Griphook locked it up. After returning the key to her, the goblin ushered them back into the cart. 

“Couldn’t yeh go slower?” Hagrid asked Griphook. 

He replied with a nasty smirk. “One speed only.” This time they plunged even deeper through the caverns, wind whistling in their ears. At one point, Rose had leaned over the side of the cart to look down at the gorge, but Hagrid pulled her back in by the shoulder. 

After a few minutes they arrived outside vault 713. There was no key to this vault. Instead, the Gringotts employee had to gently stroke the door, which melted at his touch. Hagrid stepped inside the vault. The emerald eyed girl tried to peer into the room from her seat in the cart, but only managed a glimpse. It seemed to be small for being in the high security section.

The groundskeeper grabbed a package from within and got back in the cart. He had withdrawn a grubby, brown paper parcel. The object within looked to be only a bit larger than her fist. Kinda disappointing. Hagrid saw her trying to figure out what it was, and spoke to her. 

“Don’t go pokin’ yer nose into this. Secret Hogwarts business. More’n my job’s worth tah tell yeh.”

* * *

After another dizzying ride, Hagrid and Rose exited the bank. 

“Rosie, would yeh mind if I slipped to the Leaky Cauldron for a pick meh up? Them Gringotts carts do meh no good. ‘specially on top of that Knight Bus.” The groundskeeper did look a little green. The raven haired girl did not want to be left alone in Diagon Alley, but she did feel bad for Hagrid. 

“It’s quite alright Hagrid. I’ll just go and-,” Rose consulted her supply list. “-get fitted for my robes. Which shop should I go to?”

“Yeh’ll prolly want Madam Malkin’s. It’s ‘cross the street over there.” At that Hagrid walked away, the crowd parting to let him through. The girl herself had to fight against the crowd to cross the street and her to the robe shop. She was short enough that most adults didn’t even see her. 

A bell jingled as Rose stepped into the store. A plump woman wearing mauve robes stepped over to her. The girl assumed this was Madam Malkin. 

“Hogwarts, dear? We’ve been getting a lot of them. Actually I have a young man being fitted up right now.”

As the shop owner led Rose to the back, she saw the aforementioned ‘young man’. He had a pale face with pointed features, slick blonde hair, and steel gray eyes. He stood upon the stool next to her’s, having his robes pinned up by a second witch. 

“Hello,” The boy spoke in an aristocratic drawl. “Hogwarts too?”

“Yes.” The green eyed girl replied politely. 

“My father’s next door buying my books and Mother’s up the street looking at wands. Then I’m going to drag them off to look at racing brooms. I don’t see why first years can’t have their own. I think I’ll bully Father into getting me one anyways and I’ll smuggle it in somehow.” Rose was strongly reminded of Dudley. Except he was lean and a bit tall for his age. 

The boy continued on. “Have  _ you  _ got your own broom?” Her lips curled upward at this. She used to have a toy broom when she was 1. Uncle Siri had gotten it for her birthday. One of her earliest lucid memories was her dad and uncle chasing her through their backyard while flew a few feet off the ground. 

“No.”

“Play quidditch at all?” The girl shrugged her shoulders noncommittally. She had never played quidditch herself, but had heard many, many tales of her father’s flying days from her uncles. It seemed as if that was their favorite thing to talk about. That and the pranking regime they held over Hogwarts. 

“ _ I _ do- Father says it’s a crime if I’m not picked to play for my House, and I must say, I agree. Know what house you’ll be in?”

“Well no one  _ really  _ knows until they’re sorted.” Rose shot back. She was getting very ticked off by this guy’s attitude. Probably a snobbish pureblood. 

“Right, but I  _ know _ I’ll be in Slytherin,”  _ Ah, it makes sense now,  _ Rose thought. “all our family have been- imagine being in Hufflepuff, I think I’d leave, wouldn’t you?”

“And give up a chance to learn magic? No thank you, besides, Hufflepuff is a great House. Hard working, loyal, modest. Everything a person should be in life.” Her mum Lily had had many friends in Hufflepuff. 

“I say, look at that man!” The boy pointed to the window. In it was Hagrid holding two ice cream cones, nodding at them to show he couldn’t come in. Rose smiled back at him. 

“That’s Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts.”

“Oh I’ve heard of him. They say he’s some sort of  _ savage _ \- lives in a hut on the school grounds and every now and then he gets drunk, tries to do magic, and sets fire to his bed.”

The green eyed girl let some of her anger pour into her gaze. “Please do not judge and belittle someone before you’ve even met them. And he’s not a  _ savage _ as you so eloquently put it, he’s the gamekeeper and a very nice man.”

The blonde sneered at this. “Is he now? Why is he with you? Where are your parents?”

“They’re dead.” Rose said bluntly. She didn’t want to elaborate on it with a snobbish git, anyways. 

“Oh, sorry.” Not sounding very sorry at all, he continued on. “But they were  _ our  _ kind, weren’t they?”

“They were both magical, not that it should make much of a difference.”

“But of course it does. They shouldn’t let the other kind in, don’t you think? They’re just not the same, they’ve never been brought up to know our ways. Some of them have never even heard of Hogwarts till they get their letter. No, they should definitely keep it in the old wizarding families.” He pauses for a moment to catch his breath. “What’s your surname, anyway?”

Thankfully, Madam Malkin interrupted before Rose could answer. “That’s it, you’re done, my dear.” The girl hopped down from the stool and went to the counter to pay for her robes and cloak. She met Hagrid outside and continued on with their shopping. 

Rose and Hagrid spent the afternoon gathering all of her school supplies. First to the apothecary, where Rose picked up a basic potion kit (and some extra ingredients that the gamekeeper didn’t notice). Next the equipment shop, where she bought herself a cauldron, stirrers, brass scales, potion phials, dragon hide gloves, and a telescope for Astronomy. She also bought herself a three-compartment trunk, which she stored all of her purchases in. After that was the parchment and quill shop, where she bought several pots of different colored ink, dozens of rolls of parchment, and a huge box of different feathered quills. 

However, Rose had the most fun in the bookshop, Flourish and Blotts. First, she picked up all of the assigned course books. Then she moved into the more entertaining books. The raven haired girl picked up several books on pranking, which went unnoticed by Hagrid. It was only fair that she attempt to carry the torch as a next-generation Marauder. Rose also picked up an interesting book entitled  _ Mind Magicks: A Rudimentary Guide to Legilimency, Occlumency, Aura-Sight, Memory Withdrawal, and Intent-Based Spells.  _ It was quite thick, bigger than the dusty dictionary that her Aunt Petunia stored on a bookshelf in the living room. Now that tome was purely for show, she’d never seen a Dursley once open a book thicker than a comic or newspaper. 

Rose also picked out several reference books the shopkeeper had recommended, like  _ Hogwarts: A History, Notable 20th Century Wizards, Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts,  _ and  _ The Pureblood Pride: A Muggle-born’s Guide to Magical Society and the Workings of the Wizengamot. _ The girl was intrigued by all these books since they mentioned several things she had overheard from her parents. Her father had had a seat on the Wizengamot, and had voted there up until they went into hiding, when he then signed Dumbledore as the proxy. 

Rose was only reminded of Hagrid’s presence when she went up to the counter to pay for her many purchases. 

“Gallopin’ gorgons, Rosie. That’s a lotta books. Yeh sure like to read, don’cha?” The green eyed girl smiled at this. 

“Yes, I really do love to read.” It was true. Books had always been somewhat of an escape for her. Dudley refuses to chase her into a library on principle alone. Honestly, she wasn’t even sure if he could read that well. 

“Ah, yer just like yer mum. She loved to read, too. Always was a smart girl.” Rose’s smile grew even wider. She loved to hear about her parents from others. The girl herself only had about 4 months worth of memories from them.* One thing she could recall vividly was her mum’s library. There were three ceiling height shelves filled with books, and another, smaller bookshelf with Rose’s own kids’ books. 

* * *

Hagrid had then taken her to a menagerie. 

“I wanted ter get yeh a birthday present. Don’ expect you’ve gotten lotsa gifts from them Dursleys.”

“Thank you, but you don’t have to-“ The groundskeeper cur her off. “I know I don’t have to. Yeh know what, I’ll get yeh an animal. Not a toad, they went outta fashion years ago. An’ I don’ like cats, make me sneeze. I’ll tell yeh what. I’ll get yeh an owl. All the kids want owls; they’re dead useful, carry yeh mail and everything.”

10 minutes later they walked out of the shop with an owl in a cage. It was a gorgeous snowy white owl with soft, round amber eyes. It had flown over to them and landed on Rose’s shoulder as soon as she had stepped into the emporium. The raven haired girl was profusely thanking Hagrid, who was blushing a bit at his ears. 

“Don’ worry ‘bout it. Now all that’s left is yer wand. Have to go to Ollivanders-only place for wands, and yeh’ve gotta have the best.” Her wand was what Rose was most looking forward to buying. She could remember stealing her father’s wand from him, waving it around trying to make sparks fly out of it like her mother would do. 

The wand shop looked to be quite shabby from the outside. It was narrow and decrepit, with fading gold letters in the door that read  _ Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C.  _ The window held a single wand laying on a dusty purple cushion. 

The inside seemed even smaller as they stepped inside. The walls were lined to the ceiling with long, thin boxes. Rose could  _ feel  _ the ambient magic washing over them, a strange tingling sensation that crawled down her spine. But it was a good tingling, almost like a reassuring presence. 

A soft voice called out to them from behind the counter. “Good afternoon.” Rose jumped in surprise, and she assumed Hagrid did as well as she heard a loud crunching noise and he jumped off the spindly chair. 

“Hello, sir.” Rose replied somewhat awkwardly. The man was staring at her with his shiny, silver eyes. His pale face was framed by wild, shoulder length gray hair. 

“Ah, yes. Yes, yes. I thought I’d be seeing you soon. Rose Potter.” He stated, not asked. “You have your father’s hair. It seems only yesterday that he was in here himself, buying his first wand. Eleven inches long, pliable, made of mahogany. Powerful and excellent for transfiguration.” Mr. Ollivander was creeping closer to Rose with each word. “Your mother on the other hand favored a willow wand. Ten and a quarter inches. Swishy. Nice wand for charm work. Well, I say your mother favored it-it’s really the wand that chooses the wizard, of course.”

By now Ollivander has come so close to the green eyed girl that they were almost nose to nose. “And that’s where….” The old man was lightly stroking Rose’s scar, which was normally covered by her bangs. “I’m sorry to say I sold the wand that did it. Thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yew. Powerful wand, very powerful, and in the wrong hands….if I’d known what that wand was going out into the world to do……” The old man shook his head, as if to clear out the memories. 

The wand maker then spotted Hagrid. “Rubeus! Rubeus Hagrid! How nice to see you again…. Oak, sixteen inches, rather bendy, wasn’t it?”

“It was, sir, yes.”

“Good wand, that one. But I suppose they snapped it in half when you got expelled.” The gamekeeper was suddenly nervous. 

“Er-yes they did, yes. I’ve still got the pieces though.”

Ollivander replies quite sharply. “But you don’t  _ use  _ them?”

“Oh, no, sir!” The older man shot him a piercing look. Hagrid was gripping his pink umbrella quite tightly. 

The wand maker continued on as if nothing had happened. “Well, now-Miss Potter. Let me see. Which is your wand arm.” The pale man was pulling a tape measure out of his pocket. 

“I’m right handed, sir.” Rose held out her arm, and the tape measure- _ by itself- _ flew around the girl measuring everywhere. Head to toe, should to floor, ‘round the head, elbow to finger, you name it. As it did this Ollivander explained some of the wandlore to Rose. 

Each wand was made with a unique core, from either unicorn hair, phoenix tail feather, or dragon heartstring. 

By now the tape was done measuring and had landed in a heap on the floor. Mr. Ollivander has taken down some boxes from the shelves and made his way over to Rose. “Right then, Miss Potter. Try this one. Beechwood and dragon heartstring. Just give it a wave.” Rose just barely lifted her arm before the wand was snatched away from her. And so began a long process of trying out wands only to have them grabbed from her. Instead of growing disheartened at the pile of abandoned wands, which was steadily getting larger, Mr. Ollivander seemed to be excited. 

“Tricky customer, eh? Not to worry, we’ll find the perfect match here somewhere—I wonder now—yes, why not—unusual combination—holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple.”

As soon as Rose grabbed the wand, she felt a warmth spread throughout her. The raven haired girl raised the wand above her head and brought it down, swishing through the air. Red and gold sparks were thrown from the tip of her wand. Hagrid whooped, and Mr. Ollivander started to clap. 

“Oh, bravo! Yes, indeed, oh very good. Well, well, well….how curious…..how very curious.” The wand maker was now putting Rose’s wand back in her box and wrapping it in brown paper, still muttering to himself. “Curious…..curious……”

Rose decided to speak up. “I’m sorry, but may I ask, what exactly is so curious about my wand?”

The old man turned his head sharply and stared the girl in the eye. “I remember every wand I’ve ever sold, Miss Potter. Every single wand. It so happens that the phoenix whose tail feather is in your wand gave another feather—just one other. It is very curious indeed that you should be destined for this wand when it’s brother—why, it’s brother gave you that scar.” Rose gulped at this new information. So her wand shared a core with Voldemort. Well that’s just fan- _ bloody _ -tastic. 

“Yes, thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yew. Curious indeed how these things happen. The wand chooses the wizard, remember…. I think we should expect great things from you Miss Potter. After all, He-Who-Must-Be-Named did great things…. terrible yes, but great.”

The green eyed girl shivered under the wand maker’s gaze. Quickly she payed for her wand and she and Hagrid exited the shop. 

Rose was silent on the trip back to Privet Drive on the Knight Bus. By the time they got back, it was almost 5:00. Hagrid helped her carry the packed trunk up to her doorstep. 

“Well, goodbye now Rosie. I’ll be seein’ yeh September Firs’. Owl me if yer relatives give yeh any trouble.” With that, the gamekeeper got back onto the bus, which vanished with a crack. 

_ Now, _ Rose thought,  _ it’s time to face my uncle…... _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This A/N is kinda long, and not really necessary to read. I had received a couple questions about Rose’s additional ‘powers’ on ff.net, and while I haven’t received any on here, I thought I’d address them just the same. 
> 
> I said in the prologue that she has Aura-sight, near perfect memory, and crude Legilimency and Occlumency skills. Rose knows that she has the powers, but does not know the name for them. Her Occlumency was built up by studying Muggle meditation in her cupboard. The Legilimency is passive and she was born with it, similar to Queenie in FBAWTFT, except she can't read people's thoughts, she can only tell if they're lying. This could also be passed off as a Muggle skill if she wanted to hide it.
> 
> Next is her Aura Sight. It's not going to be extremely powerful, and she won't use it very often. Again, she's self-trained, so it won't be very powerful at the moment. In order to see the blood wards she has to concentrate A LOT, and seeing as how blood wards are the strongest wards out there, her skill is shoddy at best. The Mind Magicks book will help her develop all of her skills.
> 
> The biggest one is her memory. Again, she only had about 4 months worth of memories prior to her stay at the Dursleys. This means that she will have a wide knowledge of the wizarding world because she has memories of interactions with her family, but also hearing her parents talk about the war. As a baby she couldn't understand it, but she does now that she is older and her brain is more developed. Think of it as watching an adult show with your parents when you are a small child. All of the dirty jokes, innuendos, and inappropriate themes go right over your head because you just don't understand them. But you still have the memory of watching it, so as you get older and your mind becomes dirtier, you start to understand the references. That is what it is like with Rose. She has the memories of conversations, interactions, everything. As she gets older and her brain develops, she registers what exactly was going on and now has the knowledge of these events.
> 
> Now most of you will say "that's way too many memories for a four month period. Technically not. That's roughly 122 days, or 2,928 hours of memories. Don't get me wrong, she will forget some things and she's not gonna be like "I was read this bedtime story at 8:05 on August 23." No. It's not gonna be that good. Her memory is just substantially longer than most human children's.
> 
> I hope that clears up some of the questions you did not have.


	5. Off to Hogwarts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And we’re off to Hogwarts now! The Sorting will be in the next chapter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will be posted either later tonight or tomorrow morning. Thanks to all those who have bookmarked, commented, or given kudos for my story. Your support means so much!
> 
> Also, this chapter was betaed by ZriptideZ. You can check them out here on AO3 as well as ff.net, Quotev, and Wattpad. He is an amazing writer, and you should definitely check out his stories.

  
Chapter 4: Off to Hogwarts

_Now_ , Rose thought shakily, _it's time to face my uncle…_

* * *

That night, Rose received one of the worst beatings of her life. Her uncle had used her own belt against her, something he hadn't done in over 3 years. Her back felt like it was on fire, each path the belt had taken on her skin creating its own angry red line. Thankfully, she didn't feel it break the skin, though Rose could still tell that there were welts forming. Eventually, her uncle ceded in his punishment, and locked her back in the cupboard.

She sat down on her makeshift bed, waiting for the aching of her skin to die down. And as Rose lay there on her cot, she could feel her magic washing over her back, reducing the swelling and lessening the pain.

* * *

Rose's last month with her relatives was an absolute living Hell. Her chore list seemed to have doubled, something she had not thought possible. And, instead of talking to her, Aunt Petunia just wrote everything down on a pad of paper and shoved it at Rose each morning.

She was still locked in her cupboard each night, which was smaller with her filled trunk also stuffed into it. The collapsible owl cage had been put into her trunk, along with her robes, textbooks, and other equipment. Rose had let her owl, whom she named Hedwig, out of the cage so that she could nest in the backyard.

It was about a week before the school term began when Rose approached her uncle on how to get to Hogwarts.

"Uncle Vernon?" she asked.

"What do you want now, girl?" was his angry response.

"Could you drive me to King's Cross Station next week?"

"Why would a freak like you need to be at a train station?"

Rose bit her lip, "That's how I get to school."

"ABSOLUTELY NOT! I REFUSE TO LET YOU GO TO THAT… THAT FREAK SCHOOL!"

"I've already been accepted, Uncle. They'll come and look for me if I don't show up on the train."

The fat man seemed to consider this for a minute. Rose knew that in her uncle's eyes, it was kind of a lose-lose situation. On one hand, it meant that she would be happy and hanging out with other 'weirdos,' but her relatives also wouldn't have to deal with her 'foolishness.' On the other hand, if she stayed, they had to put up with her 'nonsense' and 'ungratefulness,' but they still had someone to do their chores. And if she didn't show up at all, the teachers would come and find out about how they treated her.

After a few minutes of deliberation, it seemed her uncle had reached a decision. "Fine, go to your school. Just don't expect us to waste our time with that foolishness and have to drive you to London."

Rose nodded and walked back to her cupboard. Honestly, she hadn't expected for her uncle to give in that easily.

It was the evening of August 31st, and Rose had just finished making dinner for her relatives. As the Dursleys sat down to eat, she went back to her cupboard, spending the next few hours listening as her aunt and uncle retired to bed after watching the telly.

Uncle Vernon had forgotten to lock her cupboard that night, as she had snuck in early. And so, trying to make as little noise as possible, Rose grabbed her trunk and crept out of the cupboard to call out quietly to her owl outside. "Hedwig, girl, can you come down here please? I need to put you in the cage, but after tomorrow you'll be able to fly free again," Rose said into the open air of the backyard.

Immediately, the snowy owl flew down from the makeshift nest she had made. She clicked a bit going into the cage, nipping Rose's shoulder slightly.

"You're practically human, you know that Hedwig? Except much smarter," Rose cooed softly to her bird, who seemed to soak up all the praise as she puffed her chest out.

The green eyed girl dragged her trunk and cage out of the driveway, and down the street. Once she was finally at the park, she sat down on a bench, panting slightly. It was tiring to carry the heavy trunk, especially with her skinny body. After a few minutes, she stood back up, walking to the curb.

Rose withdrew her holly wand from within her pants' pocket and flung it outwards in a long motion. Immediately, the violet triple decker bus popped into existence. A young man who looked to be in his twenties hopped off the bus as soon as the door opened.

"Welcome to the Knight Bus, emergency transport for the stranded witch or wizard. I'm John Dingle, and I will be your conductor for this evening. We have a flat fee of 11 sickles. You can add hot chocolate for an additional 2 sickles, or a hot water bottle and toothbrush for 4 additional sickles," the man informed her.

Rose reached for her money bag and pulled out 11 sickles.

"Can you take me to the Leaky Cauldron?" she asked as she handed the coins to the man.

"Of course," was his response.

"Thank you. Would you mind giving me a hand with my trunk?" Her words -caught by the conductor- caused him to step onto the grass and pick up the heavy trunk in one swift motion. He carried it onto the bus and set it next to an unoccupied bed. Rose followed, and saw that none of the furniture was bolted down (as it probably should have been on a large bus such as this one), and most of it was in disarray.

Just as she sat down on the edge of the brass bed, the conductor called out to the driver: "Take it away, Ernie!"

* * *

After a turbulent ride, Rose found herself standing on Charing Cross Road.

She dragged her trunk and owl cage through the door of the pub, and was met by raucous laughter from the bar area. Standing behind it, cleaning a class, was an old man with graying hair and a couple missing teeth. Seeing Rose, he set down the glass and walked across the room to her.

"What can I do for ya, missy? We usually don't get young girls here by themselves," asked the old man.

"I would like to board here for the night, if you have an open room," Rose responded.

"Where are your parents?"

"I live with muggles. They aren't able to take me to Platform 9¾ tomorrow, so they decided to let me stay here tonight and get to Kings Cross by myself." Rose was surprised at how easily the lie slipped off her tongue. She generally tried not to lie to the Dursleys, not that she had much to lie about. They wouldn't have believed her anyway.

The man nodded his head, "Ah, I see. Well I guess you can stay in room 9. I assume you'll only be here for tonight?"

"Yes, sir."

"Very well, then."

At that, the barkeeper whipped out his wand, and waved it over her trunk and cage. They began to levitate, and followed him neatly as he led Rose through the pub.

Rose set herself up in the room, and after an hour, finally fell asleep.

* * *

Rose was currently pushing a trolley through Kings Cross Station. Earlier that morning she had left the Leaky Cauldron and hailed a cab to take her to the station.

The girl had already seen several poorly disguised wizard families pass through the station. She was honestly surprised there were no Aurors around charging people with breaking the statute.

Glancing around to make sure that no muggles were paying attention, Rose hurtled herself through the barrier between platforms 9 and 10, passing straight through.

Immediately, a scarlet steam engine billowing smoke filled her sight line. She stared at it in awe for a few moments, before remembering herself and pushing the trolley towards the train. Up and down the platform, parents and younger siblings were saying their last goodbyes to the students, with many mothers shedding a few tears whilst hugging their children.

_I wonder if that's what my parents would've done for me. Would Uncle Sirius be there too? Maybe I'd have younger siblings._

Rose couldn't stop the thoughts from entering her brain. Every day she questioned what if? But it was dangerous for her to get lost in those thoughts and lose sense of reality.

Steeling herself, Rose walked closer to the train, trying to look through the windows for an empty compartment. Eventually she found one near the end of the train.

First she took the owl cage with Hedwig inside and set it on a booth. Next, she tried to drag her trunk up the stairs to the compartment. Key word being tried.

After her fifth attempt, a boy walked by, and, seeing her struggle, came over to help.

"Do you need a hand with that?" the boy asked. He looked to be about 13, with chestnut hair and steel gray eyes. **(Any guesses as to who that handsome Hufflepuff is?)**

"Please, if you don't mind," she responded gratefully to the boy. Instead of helping her pick up the luggage though, the wizard pulled out his wand, and pointed it at the trunk.

"Locomotor Trunk," he commanded. Instantly, the luggage began to hover about a foot off the ground, compelled by the words. It was slowly drifting up the steps towards the compartment, and completely without either Rose or the boy to lift it.

With the direction from his wand, Rose's trunk floated safely onto the overhead rack.

"Thank you so much…," Rose smiled, looking to learn his name.

"Cedric. Cedric Diggory."

That name was somewhat familiar to Rose… Diggory… Diggory…. Ah yes, Amos Diggory was on the Marauder hit list. Apparently he had tried to make some moves on her mum, which meant her dad _had_ to 'defend her honor.'

"Nice to meet you. I'm Rose. Rose Potter."

His eyes widened almost comically, before he tried to school his expression.

"Uh… it's nice to meet you, too. Well, I've got to be off now. I guess I'll see you around?"

Rose nodded and Cedric stepped out of the compartment.

Once she was sure he was gone, Rose stepped onto the seat of the compartment and tried to reach her trunk. After a little while of feeling around for the right way to unlatch the buckles, she managed to pop the top of it off and grab a couple books.

The raven haired girl was reading Mind Magicks by the time she felt the train roll out of the station. No one had stopped in her compartment, and she hoped that it would stay that way. She wasn't exactly anti-social (not that she had ever had many friends with Dudley around to scare them off), but she didn't want to be gawked at because of her scar.

Curling into the seat, Rose studied the thick tome.

_Legilimency is the act of magically navigating through the many layers of a person's mind and correctly interpreting one's findings. Some may equate this to the art of Muggle mind-reading, though learned Legilimens would beg to differ. The human mind is a complex thing. It is many layered, and is not open for one to peruse at leisure. Practiced Legilimens know that what you find may not always be true, or not contain the full truth. It is up to them to interpret the findings correctly._

_Now, there are different forms and strengths of Legilimency. There is active Legilimency, which generally requires the Legilimens to use their wand and say an incantation. The other form is passive, which usually requires years of practice and is essential both wandless and nonverbal. As for the different strengths, it depends on how much the Legilimency wants to see. It is possible to skim the surface thoughts of non-Occlumens without their noticing. Other times, mostly when using a wand, the victim of the spell will see exactly what the caster is seeing. Generally it is their memories that are on view, unless the caster is looking for a specific memory._

_It is possible for wizards or witches to be born with innate passive Legilimency skills, though it is quite rare. Most times these magicals are not aware of their powers, and do not seek to further their training. Natural-born passive Legilimens, however, have limited control without a wand. They are generally able to tell if someone is lying, or possible skim the thought of a person. Though anyone with basic Occlumency training will be able to keep the passive Legilimens out of their minds, or at least be able to sense their presence._

* * *

Rose sat and read her book for the next few hours. And only after her large session of analyzing her copy of Mind Magicks did she realize that she must have been born with natural Legilimency. Before, she had thought that she was just good at reading people's faces, though now -with the information of the book- she knew otherwise. However it did trouble her some that she had been going through people's minds without their consent.

Just then, a plump, kind-faced witch put her head through the door. "Anything off the trolley, dear?"

"Yes please," Rose responded as she grabbed a couple sickles from her pouch and proceeded to buy a handful of sweets off the trolly. She bought several chocolate frogs, a couple boxes of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, some Licorice Wands, and a Cauldron Cake. Rose didn't plan on eating it all, however, and she actually stored most of it in her trunk.

A few minutes later, a teary-eyed boy with a round, chubby face and short brown hair walked into her solitary compartment.

"Excuse me, but I was wondering if you've seen a toad?" the boy asked desperately.

Rose shook her head, "No, sorry I haven't. Though I will keep an eye out for it."

The boy sniffed, "Okay, thanks anyway." But just as he was leaving, Rose called back out to him.

"Wait, hold on. Maybe we can ask an older student to summon him for you," Rose proposed.

The boy shook his head nervously, "Uh, no thank you, I'd rather not be a bother."

"Don't worry, we'll just ask a prefect. It's in their job description to do stuff like this."

"I guess we can try."

Rose stood up from her seat, and headed out of the compartment with the boy. They walked down the length of the train, stopping in every compartment in search of a prefect.

Finally they found one. He had flaming red hair, and sat by three younger boys who wore the same on their heads. Rose assumed they were brothers, or at least related.

"Excuse me, but are you a prefect?" Rose asked. She could hear two of the younger boys groan. At a closer look, they seemed to be twins.

"Why yes, I am a prefect," the boy said with a pretentious drawl, as if he were the most important man in the world.

"Well, you see, my friend here lost his toad, and we were wondering if you could summon it for us," Rose explained.

"Of course I can. What's the toad's name?"

The brown haired boy spoke up for the first time. The word "T-Trevor" stumbled from his mouth.

"Accio Trevor the toad," the prefect spoke with a wave of his wand.

A minute later, a green and brown toad zoomed through the open door, getting caught in the prefect's outstretched hand.

"There you go. Now, may I ask, what are your names?" The prefect asked them.

"Neville Longbottom," the brown haired boy said.

Rose's eyes widened at the statement. The name was familiar, too familiar. This was her (sort of) long-lost godbrother. Oh, she had to talk with him later.

"Rose," was her response to the prefect's question.

The youngest redhead, whom Rose assumed to be a first year like them, spoke up, "What's your surname?"

Rose bit her lip and mumbled out, "Potter."

Immediately all five boys' eyes widened in awe.

The prefect stuck out his hand towards the girl, "My name's Percy Weasley. It's an honor to meet the Girl-Who-Lived."

This was what Rose had been afraid of. She was looking decidedly uncomfortable, something they all noticed.

"Yeah, uh, it's nice to meet you too. I need to go now," she breathed. And with that, she grabbed Neville by the hand and dragged him back to her compartment.

Once there, she threw her arms around him and gave him a huge hug, speaking to him over his shoulder, "Oh Neville, it's wonderful to see you again."

Neville looked at her warily, "I'm sorry, but do I even know you?"

Rose laughed a little nervously. "Well, you probably wouldn't remember this, but you and I are godsiblings. Your mum is my godmother, and my mum was yours."

"Wow, Gran never told me I had a godsister. It's nice to meet you, Rose."

"It's great to see you again. You know, we used to have play dates together all the time when we were babies. You liked to play with my hair."

Neville blushed, though Rose didn't really understand why. "Uh, thanks. I don't really remember much about my childhood before I went to live with Gran."

"Why do you live with your Gran? Did something happen to Auntie Alice and Uncle Frank?"

Neville was now staring down at the table. "I-Uh…...I've never told anyone this before. My Gran only told me the full story a few months ago. Mum and Dad are in the Permanent Spell Damage Ward of St. Mungo's. A few days after, well, you know what, a couple Death Eaters came and attacked my parents. They-they tortured them. For hours and hours. Sometimes I remember hearing their screams…," Neville had to look away to wipe the dampness from his eyes. Tears were also silently streaming down Rose's face. "The Death Eaters held the Cruciatus for so long… they were tortured into insanity. My parents… their minds are gone. They don't even remember me, or my Gran."

Rose moved over to Neville and started hugging him again. Her arms were wrapped around him tightly, and she could feel the back of her shirt getting slightly wet, but she didn't care.

"Oh Neville, I'm so sorry. I wouldn't have asked had I known…," she let her sentence hang off. They both understood what she meant.

At that point, her arms wrapped around him in comfort, Rose and Neville bonded. Maybe it was their similar pasts, maybe it was the familial tie, or maybe they just realized they were perfect together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I tried to end on a sappy note. It didn't work out too well. And when I say perfect together, I mean as like, best friends. Definitely not romantically, with the Westermarck Effect and all that.


	6. The Sorting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will be posted this afternoon/evening. Many thanks to all those who have bookmarked, commented on, or given kudos to my story. Your support means so much!
> 
> Also, this chapter was betaed by ZriptideZ. He is an amazing editor and writer, and you should definitely check out his stories. You can find him here on AO3, as well as ff.net, Quotev, and Wattpad.

_  
Chapter 5: The Sorting_

Neville and Rose talked for the next few hours. At some point, the brown haired boy fell asleep, and Rose pulled out her mother's diary. It was magically expanding, meaning that when closed, it shrunk to the size of a pocket dictionary; but when open, it was about one foot thick with a cover measuring 8" by 11". It had a featherlight-charm on it, as well as a locking ward that meant it could only be accessed by someone who shared your blood.

Rose had started reading it in her spare time at the Dursley's, which admittedly wasn't very often. She was only halfway through her mum's first year. There was one person mentioned quite frequently, someone named Severus. He was apparently her best friend, which surprised Rose. When she was little, her mum had only had a few best friends, Alice, Dorcas, and Marlene. She had never heard a Severus mentioned before.

* * *

It was nightfall by the time the Hogwarts Express pulled into Hogsmeade Station. Rose had just finished changing into the school robes, and was trying to wake up Neville.

"Neville, wake up. We're at Hogwarts!" Rose couldn't believe it. She was finally at the school her parents had loved so much.

Blearily, Neville woke up and left the compartment to change. By the time he came back, most of the students were seen pushing their way out the train and crowding onto the platform.

As they got off the train, a booming voice called out, "Firs' years! Firs' years over here. All right there, Rosie?"

Hagrid dwarfed all the students around him, his lantern acting as a beacon for the lost first years.

"C'mon, follow me—anymore firs' years? Mind yer step, now. Firs' years follow me!"

The eleven year olds were led by the gamekeeper to a dock, where a fleet of rowboats rocked slightly in the lake.

Rose got her first glimpse of Hogwarts as the boats rounded a bend to face a cliff. The castle stood out magnificently against the inky black lake and the rough grey cliff. Candlelight illuminated all the windows that adorned its many turrets and towers.

The boats were magically guided towards the face of the cliff, which had a small section carved out. That tunnel led them inside the cliffs, to a small underground harbour where everyone got out of their vessels.

Hagrid led all the new students to a passageway that opened up to reveal two great oak doors. The gamekeeper raised his large hand and knocked three times. In response, a stern looking witch with black hair and emerald robes opened the door to greet them. Rose immediately recognized her as Professor McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress and Head of Gryffindor House.

"Firs' years, Professor McGonagall."

"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here."

Professor McGonagall opened the doors wide and let the students inside. They stood in a cavernous entrance hall, lit with torches. The first years could hear a slight rumble from their right. There were two more doors, which Rose assumed held the rest of the students.

The professor led them across the hall to a side chamber, which they crowded into.

McGonagall began to speak to them in a lecturing tone, "Welcome to Hogwarts. The four Houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each House has its own noble and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your House points, while any rule-breaking will lose House points. At the end of the year, the House with the most points is awarded the House Cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever House becomes yours.

The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rear of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while waiting." And with that, McGonagall exited back into the Great Hall.

Whispers broke out as soon as she closed the door.

"How exactly do they sort us into the Houses?" Neville asked as his toad Trevor continued poking its head out of his robe pocket.

"Some sort of test, I think. My older brother Fred said it hurts a lot, but I think he was joking," the red-haired boy of whom Rose had met on the train earlier, Ron, spoke up.

"Don't be ridiculous. All we have to do is try on the Sorting Hat. I read all about it in Hogwarts: A History." This time it was a girl who talked. She was of average size, with bushy brown hair and large teeth.

Before anyone could ask about the hat, Professor McGonagall came back in.

"The Sorting Ceremony is about to start. Now, form a line, and follow me." Rose headed towards the end of the line, right in front of Neville, with the bushy-haired witch in front of her. The first years were herded back out of the chamber and across the Entrance Hall.

The new students entered through the double doors. Floating candles illuminated the room, making the gold plates that adorned the tables sparkle. There were four tables, each one long enough to span the length of the hall. McGonagall led them to the front of the hall, where the teachers sat behind another table. The ceiling was a vision of a perfect night sky, dark inky black with glittering stars.

The professor placed a stool in front of the staff table, so that the sorting could be seen by the whole student body. On the stool was a patched, frayed old hat. Rose immediately recognized it as the Sorting Hat, having been described in her mum's journal.

The hat sang its song, and one by one the first years were sorted into their Houses. When Rose's name was called, the Hall erupted in whispers.

"Potter, did she say?"

"Not the Rose Potter?"

"That's her; that's the Girl-Who-Lived!"

The last thing Rose saw before the hat was placed over her eyes was the heads of hundreds of students craning to get a closer look at her.

* * *

_Oooh, you've got a very bright mind. Fair bit of cunning as well. And what's this? You've got nerve, daring. Immense loyalty to those you love. Quite modest, too. Now, where to put you? Slytherin would be a bit too much. And Ravenclaw would be a good match, but I sense there is something more to you._

_Now, Hufflepuff. You would be great. Just, loyal, hardworking, modest. You could bring greatness to the Badgers. Too long have they been shamed, thought to be useless._

"Please not Hufflepuff."

_And why not Miss Potter? I know you have a high opinion of it, based on what you said to young Mister Malfoy about them._

"You know about that?"

_Well, I will say that it did leave an impression on him. Too long has he been under the thumb of his parents, indoctrinated by their beliefs. But yes, I do see everything in the mind of whoever puts me on._

_But back to you, Miss Potter. You would be great in Hufflepuff. Oh, I sense what is wrong now. It's your relatives, isn't it?_

"I don't want to become what they've tried to make me. They expect me to be hardworking, humble, unobtrusive. I think that I can be more than that."

_Very well put, Miss Potter. You will do well in life. Good luck with what shall lay ahead. Your new house is-_

"GRYFFINDOR."

Rose felt a wave of relief wash over her as she took off the hat and walked to her new House table. Secretly, she had been hoping for Gryffindor, as cliche as it might sound. It was her parents' and uncles' house, and Neville had too been sorted there.

Rose really did not have anything against Hufflepuff, especially considering what she told Malfoy. It was more for her image, you'd say. Everyone would expect her to be in Gryffindor, it was her parents' House. And the whole 'defeating one of the evilest wizards in existence at the age of 1' thing she had going on.

The new Gryffindor was greeted with many exuberant handshakes as she sat down at the table. The Weasley twins were even shouting 'We got Potter!' along with a group of their fellow third years.

Rose waited while the rest of the firsties were sorted, and clapping politely each time a new Gryffindor was added. The green-eyed girl was starving by the time the Sorting had ended. All she had had that day was a few pieces of candy.

Finally, after the last student -Blaise Zabini- was sorted into Slytherin, the Headmaster Albus Dumbledore rose to give a speech.

Rose immediately recognized the Grand Sorcerer. He looked exactly the same as he had in the war, the same as he had when he left her on the doorstep that cold night in November.

Yes, the young Gryffindor was still slightly peeved about that. Seriously, what kind of adult leaves a 15 month old baby on the doorstep of a house in the middle of the night, in November, in England?

The emerald-eyed girl turned her attention to the Chief Warlock, little good that did her.

"Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say as few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!"

Rose grinned to herself slightly. There was the barmy, lemon drop-loving old coot she remembered.

Dumbledore clapped his hands twice. Instantly, the golden serving dishes filled with every food imaginable. Steaks, chops, roasted chicken, roast beef, black pudding, shepherd's pie, roasted potatoes, boiled potatoes, chips, Yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, cabbage, applesauce, gravy, and, of course, the infamous peppermint humbugs. According to Hogwarts: A History, they were added to the menu of the Opening Feast after a group of Muggleborns and Halfbloods staged a protest in the early 1900's.

Rose filled up her plate, and scarfed it all down. She hadn't had much to eat that day, nor that much the past month with the Dursleys.

While they were eating, the first years struck up a conversation.

"I'm half-and-half. Me dad's a Muggle. Mam didn't tell him till after they were married. Bit of a nasty shock for him," a sandy-haired boy with a thick Irish accent said. The raven-haired girl vaguely recognized him as Seamus Finengan from the Sorting.

So far, Rose hasn't really said anything. To be honest, she was quite nervous. The young Gryffindor was a bit scared of receiving a lot of attention. That was why she had tried to keep a low profile in Diagon Alley and on the express.

Eventually, the desserts came out and the feast ended. Dumbledore stood back up for a few parting words.

As Rose looked past him, she locked eyes with another teacher. He was pale, with greasy black hair hanging in front of his eyes, framing his blank face. He almost, almost looked surprised for a second, but had masked over so quickly that Rose wasn't even sure if she'd seen it.

The dark haired man sat next to a different teacher, this one with a large purple turban. A second after their eyes met, a sharp flair shot through Rose's infamous scar.

Her hand flew up to above her eyebrow, but no one noticed except Neville.

"Are you alright, Rose?"

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine."

The brown-haired boy still looked concerned, but didn't press the issue.

Inside, Rose's mind was whirring. The scar had lit up, if only for a brief second. It felt as it had that night, the green light burning into her skin, searing her brain. The new Gryffindor could also feel a slight headache forming in the back of her skull.

Luckily, the feast was drawing to a close. The last traces of food had vanished from the plates, leaving them pristine. Dumbledore had also arisen from his chair and was standing at the podium, which was adorned with a golden owl.

"Well, now that we are all fed and watered, we can begin the start of term announcements. First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well.

"I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you that no magic should be used between classes in the corridor.

"Quidditch trials will be held on the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their House team should contact Madam Hooch.

"Finally, I must tell you that this year, the third floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a painful death."

Murmurs erupted at this. Friends looked to one another, puzzling over why the new restriction had been set.

"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song. Now, everyone pick their favorite tune, and off we go."

The Headmaster waved his wand like a conductor, and the lyrics floated in the air.

Everyone sang to a different beat, though most sang super fast, so that they could get through it as quickly as possible. Rose also noticed a lot of Muggleborns singing popular songs, which included a lot of Queen and Duran Duran.

When they were finally done, Dumble sent them all back to their new dormitories. Rose and the other first years followed Percy and Bridgette, the other Gryffindor fifth year prefect.

The students were led up and down many staircases, which all slowly revolved and shifted. They eventually found themselves outside a portrait of a lady in a pink dress, whom Rose recognized as the Fat Lady.

"Caput Draconis," the red-haired perfect said with a snooty voice. The picture swung forward on its hinges, revealing the room within.

The Common Room looked quite cozy in Rose's opinion. Stuffed armchairs sat around the large oak tables. Comfy looking couches were placed right in front of the fireplace, which was roaring.

The female prefect led the first year girls up to their new dormitory. She explained on the way up that the stairs were boy-proof, meaning that no male could walk up the stairs without them turning into one long stone slide.

After formally introducing themselves, the new Gryffindors got ready for bed and finally fell asleep.


	7. The First Week

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many thanks to all those who have bookmarked, commented on, or given kudos to my story. Your support means so much!
> 
> Also, this chapter was betaed by ZriptideZ. He is an amazing editor and writer, and you should definitely check out his stories. You can find him here on AO3, as well as ff.net, Quotev, and Wattpad.

Chapter 6: The First Week

Whispers followed Rose as soon as she left her dormitory. Purebloods and half-bloods told their muggleborn friends tales of how The-Girl-Who-Lived had ‘defeated’ You-Know-Who ten years prior. Students craned their necks and walked in circles around the halls just to get a glimpse of their so-called Saviour. 

It really was quite irritating to Rose, especially since it almost made her late to her first class - Transfiguration. Luckily, there was a sixth year more than happy to show her a shortcut. 

In fact, Rose discovered several secret passages going from class to class that day. Some she stumbled upon by accident, and others she just remembered from her father’s descriptions. 

And so, this led Rose to thinking about the Marauder’s Map. She’d heard from her uncles that it had been confiscated by Filch in their seventh year (how they had let that happen, Rose had no idea). She assumed that in a decade, someone _had_ to have stolen it back. 

The Map showed all of Hogwarts’ 142 staircases, as well as the hundreds of passages and hidden rooms located throughout the castle. It was also extremely useful if someone was - ahem - up to no good. Well, with the pranking books Rose bought in Diagon Alley, it was only fair that she carried on the torch. 

Rose made it through the first week fairly well; though being away from magic for so long had made her forget just how complex it was. In their first Transfiguration class, she had only been able to turn her match silver and shiny, unlike the perfect needle transformed by Hermione Granger, one of Rose’s roommates. 

Their Transfiguration teacher, Professor McGonagall, was also their Head of House and the Deputy Headmistress. The Head of Hufflepuff, Professor Sprout, was their Herbology teacher, and there was also Professor Snape - Head of Slytherin and Potions teacher. 

Rose had an interesting interaction with Professor Snape that Friday during potions. Gryffindors also took this class with the Slytherins, known enemies of their house. All the older students had told the first years that Snape always favored his own House, and often deducted House points from everyone else for no reason whatsoever. 

Rose, too, was expecting this treatment, yet it never came. Even when Neville accidentally added the wrong ingredient to their cauldron, causing it to explode, he did not scorn her. Instead, he merely yelled at Neville and had another boy help him to the infirmary. After class, the two friends were amazed by the fact that they had both gotten away with blowing up a cauldron with no severe consequences. 

* * *

When all her classes were finished on Friday, Rose trekked down past the Greenhouses to Hagrid’s Cabin, which was on the edge of the Forbidden Forest. She had received a note from him earlier today, asking if she would be okay to visit him and tell him about her first week. 

Upon approaching the cabin, Rose could hear the commotion going on inside. 

“ _Back_ , fang— _back_!”

Hagrid opened the wooden door and let Rose enter, all while keeping a tight grip on the collar of his boarhound. The small shack was simple; only a single room. In one corner sat a large bed topped with a colorful patchwork quilt, and right across from the door was a massive fireplace, above which a huge copper kettle hung. Hams and pheasants and herbs hung from the rafters, which were tall enough to accommodate Hagrid's height. 

“Make yerself at home, Rosie,” Hagrid welcomed, inclining his head towards the large handcrafted table in the center of the kitchen area. 

The groundskeeper filled a mug with tea for his guest, and gave her a plate of rock cakes as well. 

As a sign of courtesy towards her host, Rose dunked her cakes in the tea and pretended to enjoy them. 

Hagrid talked with Rose, asking her about her first week of classes. When she came to talking about potions that day, he seemed the tiniest bit surprised when she described how Professor Snape had acted towards her in class. 

“Yeh musta gotten lucky, Rose. Professor Snape’s a good man, jus’ not very partial ter those students outside ’is House. He musta taken a likin’ ter yeh.”

The young Gryffindor blushed slightly at this. “I have no idea why, Hagrid. I’m not very good at potions. I guess I didn’t inherit that skill from my mum,” she finished with a laugh. 

Hagrid let out a hearty chuckle, and responded, “Oh, I remember. Yer mum, Lily, was a bright little witch. Talented at Potions an’ Charms. Now, yer father on the other hand could barely go through a single Potions class without endin’ up in the infirmary. Caught ’im and ’is friends skivin’ off it too, several times. Always more interested in exploring the Forbidden Forest.”

The gamekeeper chuckled again at the memory, and Rose smiled wistfully. She always enjoyed hearing about her parents from others. Yes, she had memories of them, but they were fewer in number. 

Rose visited with Hagrid for another hour before seeing how late it was and trekking back to the castle. Her pockets were weighed down with extra rock cakes, the load wrapped in an old newspaper. 

* * *

Saturday morning found Rose contemplating what to do with her free day. Most of the boys talked about sleeping in and spending the day playing wizard’s chess, but Hermione Granger on the other hand was already down at the library, occupied by the pages of dusty tomes. 

After completing her Transfiguration and Charms homework, Rose sat down to write a letter. She was very curious as to what had happened to her Uncle Sirius. All the time she was in the Muggle world, he had never tried to contact her. The last time she had even seen him was that fateful Hallow’s Eve. 

The young Gryffindor seriously hoped that nothing bad had happened to him. Especially since Rose could faintly remember him saying that he would go and finish off the traitor, Pettigrew. She was afraid that he had received retribution for that from a different Death Eater, or by some terrible chance was bested by the rat. 

And so, the raven haired girl pulled out a sheet of parchment and began to write. 

_Dear Sirius Black,_

_Hello. My name is Rose Potter. You may not remember me well, but I am your goddaughter. I have not seen you since I was an infant, and am hoping to reconnect with you. I understand if you do not wish to do this, however. I know it can be hard since we both suffered that fateful Halloween when my parents were killed._

_I hope that you are in good health, and that I am able to hear from you soon.  
  
_

_Sincerely,_

_Rosie_

Finishing her letter, Rose slid it into an envelope and sealed it. She then left the Tower and walked to the Owlery to give it Hedwig. The drafty tower was filled to the brim with owls of all species sitting on their perches. Feathers, straw, droppings, and small vermin skeletons covered every inch of the floor. 

The snowy owl immediately flew onto her mistress’s shoulder and butted heads with her. Rose laughed at the owl’s antics and stroked the top of her head. 

“Oh, it’s nice to see you, Hedwig. You’re such a pretty owl, you know. So smart, too.” The animal in reference puffed it’s chest out importantly, showing off to its new friends. 

“Do you think you could send a letter for me?” 

Hedwig gave her owner a look, as if to say, ‘ _what do you take me for, a human?’_

“It’s for Sirius Black. Do you know how to get to him?” 

At this, the owl behaved slightly strangely; she tilted her head to one side and shook her wings a little bit. Then, without preamble, Hedwig grabbed the letter in her beak and soared out the opening in the stone wall. Rose watched her fly into the horizon for a moment, then made her way back to the Common Room. 

Rose went up to her dormitory, noticing the pile of hard rock cakes sitting on her bedside table as she approached her things. The raven-haired girl simply picked them up and threw them in the trash can. She would’ve done the same with the newspaper they were wrapped in, but the headline caught her eye. 

**GRINGOTTS BREAK-IN LATEST**

Rose quickly unballed the paper and continued to read the article.   
  


**Investigations continue into the break-in at Gringotts on 31 July, widely believed to be the work of Dark wizards or witches unknown. Gringotts goblins today insisted that nothing had been taken. The vault that was searched had in fact been emptied the same day.**

**"But we're not telling you what was in there, so keep your noses out if you know what's good for you," said a Gringotts spokesgoblin this afternoon.**

July 31st, but that was when...that was when Hagrid took her to get her school supplies. The break-in could’ve happened when they were there! 

Something else bothered her about the article though, too. The spokesgoblin had said that the vault had been emptied earlier that day. And the thieves would’ve been looking for something valuable, a treasure. 

And so, Rose came to the conclusion that whatever Hagrid had picked up for Dumbledore that day had to be what the criminal was looking for. 

Rose spent the rest of the weekend searching through the library, contemplating what could’ve been in the vault. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My posting schedule is fairly hectic, so this may not be updated for about another month. Writing fanfiction is more of a hobby of mine, and posting this was somewhat of an impulse move. Thank you for understanding and I hope y’all don’t get mad if it takes me a while to update.

**Author's Note:**

> Please comment what you think of my story. I know my writing isn’t great, and this prologue is pretty weak. The other chapters are better, I promise.


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